What is Love?
by Sekana Katayama
Summary: A quest for the Balacruf Tombstone leads to the discovery of something much more interesting. EmilRichter.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, everyone! Been a while, hasn't it? Well, I'd kinda sworn off fanfiction due to a lot of things going on, namely school, but I'm back briefly to present... this! I got ToS 2 for Christmas, and honestly I couldn't hold back from writing an EmilRichter. I mean, who hasn't seen the blatant hints? From the first few minutes of the game, from their first meeting, I knew the two were perfect for fanfiction… and yet, where are the fanfics? I've seen _one_ on this site. So here it is, my humble contribution – an EmilRichter fanfiction to satisfy curiosities. It begins in the middle of the second Richter sidequest, which takes place mainly in the Balacruf Mausoleum.

Dedicated to the song "What is Love" by Haddaway. Very appropriate.

Written from 12:35 to 2:51 at night, oddly enough. Hope there aren't too many mistakes.

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**What is Love?**

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"W-what is that thing!?"

"I don't have time to answer idiotic questions."

"B-but it's h-_huge_!"

"We don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"Oh… o-okay."

Emil and Richter went back down the stairs from the open roof and reentered the Balacruf Mausoleum's wind-puzzle room, leaving behind a gigantic phoenix creature that must have been the size of a small house. Emil heaved a sigh of relief after the realization that they weren't actually going to confront the beast, as it hadn't exactly looked like it would go down without a fight. He wished he could be more like the man beside him, unafraid of anything, but no matter how many times he reminded himself to 'speak up and be a man,' Emil Castagnier was just not cut out for the work of a typical hero.

"Is there a reason you're staring at me?" Richter's voice cut in suddenly, and Emil blushed and averted his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry…" He must have done it unconsciously while thinking about his companion. Well, Richter wasn't really his companion, nor his friend, nor his mentor. It would have been more appropriate to call him an enemy, really. But somehow the word 'enemy' didn't fit with their odd relationship, so Emil usually thought of the redheaded man as his friend.

"You're still doing it." Harsh green eyes shot him a glare and he instinctively bit his lip and looked away, telling himself he had to be more aware of his surroundings.

"S-sorry." He apologized, and then recalled that Richter hated repetitive apologies with a pang of fear in his stomach.

"I told you not to apologize for everything!" Richter made a disgusted noise and moved onto the pedestal with the largest pinwheel, folding his arms as if to close himself off from his companion. "Well, get over here!"

Emil hastened to comply, stepping onto the pedestal beside Richter, and jumping slightly as the ground beneath them began to sink, becoming an elevator-like platform that carried them to a lower floor. He had to remind himself not to apologize for his lack of attention to the mission, for his reaction to the platform, and just for being wimpy in general. That last one made him feel worst of all, for it encompassed all the things he did wrong whenever he was around Richter, and he couldn't seem to change the way he acted even though he knew he had to become stronger, more courageous.

_Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality._

They reached the Balacruf Tombstone after a silent few minutes navigating the maze, and Richter showed no sort of pleasant emotion to be at his quest's end. Instead, with his characteristic serious expression, he picked up the tombstone, examined it, and gave a small nod. Not a particle of satisfaction was apparent in his bearing.

"I'll take you back to Asgard." He said reluctantly, and immediately turned and headed back across the maze. Emil followed wordlessly, not sure what he could have said to respond to such a cold, callous conclusion to their short journey together. He wasn't all that sure why Richter had taken him with him in the first place, except maybe the fact that he had been under the stone dais before. But Richter could have done everything himself – it wasn't as if he had needed Emil's assistance with anything, not even finding the statue's clue that led to their discovery of the portal between the stone dais and the Balacruf Mausoleum.

Their footsteps echoed hollowly through the stone halls of the Mausoleum, with neither of them making idle conversation. Richter was not keen on talking, and Emil sensed that his 'companion' would reject any attempt at small talk that he could make, never mind the fact that talking to Richter always made him anxious, so he didn't feel like talking, either. Between the two of them they shared a not-at-all comfortable silence. Or perhaps it was comfortable to Richter… Emil guessed that it might be.

They came out into the blinding sunlight as they exited the Mausoleum. Emil shielded his eyes, and glanced over at Richter to see the man not so much as bat an eyelash over the harsh transition from darkness to light. Richter's eyes slid to confront his as they walked, as if he had somehow sensed Emil's gaze on him, although he had tried not to be as obvious with his idle staring.

"Is there something fascinating about me, or do you just have nothing better to do than stare at me?" Richter's narrowed eyes and altogether annoyed appearance caused an icy fear to slide down Emil's spine, freezing him as they both halted, yet again due to Emil's tendency to observe his companion without much tact.

"I-I…" Emil couldn't apologize, that would only make Richter more furious with him. "I-I guess s-so."

When Richter said nothing, and his glare intensified, Emil had to stop himself from visibly shaking at the feeling inside him, of disappointing someone, being misunderstood, being hated. And by someone he admired.

"I mean, y-you are pretty mysterious, s-so I can't help wondering about, w-well… everything!" He felt his face grow pale as he scrambled to explain with some form of audibility.

"Mysterious, huh?" Richter paused, and his expression loosened a little, as if he was contemplating the connotations of the word, before his usual frown returned. "Let's get going."

They stepped onto the warp space, and reappeared under the stone dais. Emil was close to panicking from the close call only a moment before, with Richter's fury imminent. He didn't think his 'friend' would kill him just for staring, but then, he wasn't all that sure he wouldn't. That was just how mysterious and unpredictable Richter was.

While Emil had been thinking on these important matters – namely, trying to calm his panic-stricken heart – he was completely unaware of his surroundings, with the result that he instinctively turned down a passageway that led deeper into the temple, instead of towards the exit.

The next thing he knew, something collided with him and forced him against the corridor's stone wall, knocking the breath out of his lungs. It was very warm, and though it mostly obscured his view he could see the red hair that ultimately alerted him to the identity of the… attacker…

"R-Richter? Wha-?"

"You idiot!" Blazing green eyes found his as Richter moved off of him, still standing close enough that Emil found himself admiring the emerald hue of his irises. "What were you – where were you _going_!?"

Emil's mouth moved without sound as he saw the unfamiliar corridor and concluded that he had been wandering without really knowing where he was going. But why would Richter tackle him like that just for getting lost? Well, it wasn't that surprising, he supposed, but he wouldn't have expected Richter to do anything to him that required physical contact, as that didn't seem to be the man's favorite method of retaliation when it came to him.

"You almost ran straight into that monster!" Richter's hands cornered him, one to each side of his head on the stone wall as the furious face loomed close to his.

Emil was so frightened that Richter could have told him that he was going to become the King of Tethe'alla and he would have just nodded hastily and stuttered out anything to get away from the all-consuming anger. As it was, he barely noticed the words that might have hinted to why he had been tackled in the first place, 'almost ran straight into that monster,' which could have caused the realization that Richter had been saving him from an oncoming monster. Unfortunately, Emil was too far gone in his fear to notice this, and thus his only reaction to Richter's 'concern' was another flustered apology and wide, frightened-deer eyes.

After a moment in which Richter's eyes burned into his, he couldn't help himself any longer, and his body began to tremble. He wanted no more than to die at that moment, for showing such obvious weakness to someone he dearly desired to impress, more than anything. Instead, Richter got to see the most pitiful side of him.

But his pathetic appearance had the opposite effect on Richter, one that Emil hadn't foreseen at all. Upon noticing how Emil's delicate body was shaking, and the way the hero's wide eyes seemed on the verge of tears, Richter's anger abruptly disappeared, replaced with a sort of post-fury kindness, possibly even concern.

"Emil…" Richter's soothing tone startled him when it calmed his shaking body with a single word.

And then Richter gave a heavy sigh, and let his forehead fall against the stone, warm breath on Emil's ear as he muttered, "I'm sorry."

"I-I thought you said-"

"There are times when apologies are necessary." Richter interjected, still leaning against the wall, not quite against Emil but as good as.

"Oh." Emil didn't find anything else to say, especially not with Richter pressed lightly against him in various places, lips moving now to brush his ear.

"I was worried." He sounded full of emotion, so unlike the Richter that others saw.

"O-oh." Emil said, starting to feel a little uncomfortable now that the threat of Richter's fury was past but Richter himself remained too close for comfort.

"I should not have frightened you like that." Richter added finally, hesitant, and at last raised his head from the wall, though he didn't seem to be moving away.

"O-oh. R-right." Emil squeaked as Richter's eyes locked with his and an oddly intense look came over his friend's face. It was as if his fury was about to return, but that didn't make sense…

"I… I'm not… myself… sometimes." The older man's halting speech was a completely new development that Emil found strange, especially as Richter's eyes gazed deep into his own. "When you're in danger, I…"

Emil was shocked as Richter looked away for a moment to regain his composure, and he was subjected to the idea that his friend truly cared for him, beneath his usual façade of apathy.

"I-I didn't know you f-felt that way…" He whispered, suddenly glad they were alone in the vast halls of the underground temple as his eyes started to sting. While he was mortified at the thought of crying now, when Richter had just been so kind to him, at least there would be no one else around to see.

"Don't cry." The serious tone was softened with guilt as Richter at last took his imprisoning hands from the wall, and rested one of them on Emil's shoulder in an action that exuded empathy.

"I-I'm not… crying." Emil protested weakly, flushing at the comforting hand giving him its support. "W-why would I be crying?"

"Emil." Richter leaned in towards him, unoccupied hand moving to cup Emil's face, guiding it to look at him. "You have every right to hate me."

"W-what!?" Emil exclaimed, half at the odd misunderstanding that Richter seemed to have of his feelings, and half at the hand caressing his face of its own accord, causing his blush to deepen embarrassingly. "I don't hate you, I r-really like you!"

Green eyes widened slightly in surprise for scarcely a moment before Richter did something completely unexpected. He smiled. Sure, it was a reluctant smile, barely more than his lips twitching upwards, but it was there.

"Do you really?" He mused aloud, not a question but a meandering thought voiced by carelessness. His expression and tone both showed surprise at some sort of strange revelation. Emil wasn't sure why the idea that he didn't despise his friend was this much of a surprise, but he nodded anyway, in response to Richter's general confusion.

"Emil…" The way Richter spoke his name this time was not calming at all. This time, the way his name lingered on that tongue, spoken with a mix of amazement and hunger, made his heart beat faster as that cold raced down his spine again.

He tried to press himself back into the wall as much as possible as Richter came closer, closer, closer – what was he doing!? Now both hands cupped his face, tilting it upwards as Richter leaned in and…

… And pressed warm lips to his. Emil's face burned as Richter kissed him softly, mouth moving over his in a way that made his breath catch. But why was he-

And then it was over, and Emil, confused, tried to recover his breath while Richter watched him with the hint of a smile.

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	2. Chapter 2

I really thought that this would be a light little one-shot, but apparently there are people who want to see more, specifically the other Richter side-quests. Well, you're in luck, 'cause I can't stop thinking of those two, and I've decided to cover the next side-quest in Camberto Caves. Hope you all like my take on it!

Written from 11:56 to 2:52. I enjoy writing late at night, if you couldn't tell. Unfortunately, late-night writing has to be carefully proof-read… otherwise you get things like… "What's wrong you with!?" Luckily I noticed that one…

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**What is Love?**

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"Further in? Are you sure?"

"Yes, it's at the very back."

"Hmph. Impressive."

"W-well, I had Marta and the others with me."

Obtaining the rosemary had seemed like a daunting task the first time Emil had been here, to Camberto Caves, but the support of his friends had kept his spirits up. In the end, they had found a lone sprig of withering rosemary at the very back of the cave. Now it was Richter here with him, searching for a type of creature that lived on rosemary. Apparently the other man had been here before, but hadn't had the will to look in the farthest area of the cave before he gave up. But somehow Emil didn't believe Richter was the kind of man to give up that easily.

Which begged the question of why his friend had asked him to lead him here when he could have gone by himself…?

Emil looked away to hide a small smile. Maybe Richter just appreciated his company? Although he did have the feeling that his friend would deny something like that entirely, were he to ask. But then again, the last time he had gone along with Richter…

He flushed at the memory, trying to focus on walking to calm his fast-beating heart. Walking beside Richter. Richter, who had, for reasons unknown to him, _kissed him_ the last time they were alone together. He would have gone on to question Richter's motives with this, or his own feelings about said encounter, but his thoughts scampered away at the first sight of danger, leaving him with nothing to conclude on either account.

His blush returned and he resolved to stop thinking about it. After all, it wasn't like Richter was going to do it again. Why would he? This was just a mission to get something for some scientist – but wasn't that what it had been last time, until… until what? How had all of that happened, anyway? He still wasn't really clear on the whole Richter-slamming-him-into-the-wall part, though he had the nagging feeling the man had explained at some point where he was too panic-stricken to comprehend.

… Apparently, he could not just 'stop thinking about it.' The frustration was getting to him, especially at the fact that he didn't know why Richter had done it and whether he would again. He would have just asked his friend, but he shuddered to imagine the results. He'd receive a cold glare from those emerald eyes, or on the other hand he'd get something entirely different, like those soft lips on his-

Gah! What was he thinking!? His blush had spread, judging by the warmth all across his face, and he hoped against hope that Richter wasn't looking, and hadn't been looking for the last however-long he had been thinking about him. He really had to focus on the task at hand, if he could.

"Hmm…"

Ah! He _had _noticed! What was he going to-

Richter glanced back at him as they walked, face expressionless. "Any idea how the water is here?"

Emil blinked, startled at the completely unexpected question. Why was Richter asking him about the water? Was he thinking of taking a bath? But wait, not while he was here, surely he wasn't… Or maybe he was just making conversation? No, Richter would only bother speaking to him if it was something he thought important. Maybe Aqua wanted to find some nice water? But Richter didn't seem to care that much for her-

"Emil." The harsh voice cut into his thoughts, and he found himself staring up straight into Richter's green eyes, and vaguely noted that they had stopped walking and Richter was _very _close.

"O-oh, s-sorry, I was just, um, I was…" He fumbled with the words and bit his lip nervously when he was unable to come up with any semblance of an explanation.

Richter's gaze drifted to his lips for an inconsequential moment before returning to his eyes. "I asked you what you thought of the water."

"Oh, r-right, that!" Emil scratched his head sheepishly, desperately grasping for a reply and coming up empty-handed. "Um, I don't… know what you mean…?"

"The water." Richter repeated in typical monotone. "How. Is. It."

"Um, it's… wet?" Emil cowered a little under the force of Richter's resulting glare before suddenly and miraculously realizing what the other man had meant. "Oh! You're asking how it is because – oh, right, well, it's…"

And then his tongue became a lump of lead due to the pictures flooding into his mind, visions of Richter waist-deep in the sparkling blue-green water of the caves, muscular chest exposed, stray droplets of water running down it… Richter's hair soaking wet, his glasses… no, no glasses… he was stunning without them, too…

"Is something wrong with you?" Richter snapped, face moving even closer to his, as if he had completely forgotten what had happened beneath the stone dais. "You can't complete a sentence, you keep drifting off when I'm trying to talk to you–"

"I-I'm fine! And the water's fine, too! That's what I was going to say!" Emil cringed a little as his voice took on a panicked and much higher pitch.

Richter's anger deflated on cue, and the redhead gave a heavy sigh. "All right, at least I got my answer."

"S-sorry." Emil looked down at the mossy ground so he wouldn't have to be confronted by the intensity of Richter's gaze.

"Don't apologize." Richter muttered, but his heart had gone out of it, and it was more of a casual reminder than a threat.

"R-right." Emil laughed awkwardly for a moment before that, too, dissipated into the uncomfortable silence.

They reached the rosemary's location after a very long and silent few minutes. There they dug until uncovering the shell-like husk of the angelatops that was Richter's objective. That meant that they would part ways soon, and Emil felt a mix of hesitance and relief, unsure why he kind of wished they could have traveled together longer.

"Good. This will do." Richter murmured to himself, pocketing the shell.

And then, ignoring Emil entirely, he began to take off his clothing. Emil half-watched as he turned away, shocked, as the redhead's weapons and long coat fell neatly to the forest floor. And then Richter began to unbutton his shirt.

"W-what are you… doing?" Emil asked carefully, trying to stay calm as he also tried not to watch his friend undress. Not that he would ever want to watch-

"Preparing to wash, what else?" Sharp, casual tone like always, as if he wasn't stripping off his clothing without even having the decency to warn Emil…

Emil made the mistake of glancing over his shoulder momentarily and their eyes locked as Richter cast his shirt to the ground in a careless motion. His mouth dried up abruptly for some reason, and he had to be very firm with himself to stop his eyes from traveling downwards to examine the no-doubt perfect physique of the other man, knowing that if he did if would be all-too-obvious. Wait, why did he even care what Richter looked like!?

"Well? Are you just going to stare at me, or are you coming in, too?" Richter sat down on a fallen log to take off his boots, leaving only one vital piece of clothing still covering his body – pants.

And then Emil's mind caught up with what Richter had just said, and he flushed and turned away. It was true that he would benefit from a wash here, since they hadn't been near much water lately – at least, not freshwater – and he had been looking forward to smelling nicer again, but… with Richter? No, it wasn't like anything was happening, it was just… two people washing. Yes, that was it. Best way to think about it.

After all, how strange would it be if he refused? Richter would wonder why, and who knows what he would think of! That clinched it.

"U-um yes, right." He nodded unnecessarily to enforce his agreement, and sat down on a large rock to pull his own boots off, dedicating himself to not looking at Richter as he heard the final layer of clothing pulled off. Oh, no, what was he getting himself into..?

Thankfully he heard a quiet splash not long after, and heaved a sigh of relief at the blessed idea that at least he'd only have to see Richter half-naked, if he had to see him at all. He could just ignore him, he contemplated the idea as he unwound the scarf around his neck and then pulled off his gloves. Next his tunic came off, very awkwardly as his fingers had froze up without any good reason, and he fumbled with the belts as if it wasn't his own clothing. Last went his pants, as his cheeks burned and he most certainly did not glance in Richter's general direction.

He had to force himself not to sprint to the water's edge and get into the liquid cover as soon as possible. Instead, he walked briskly and met the water with a grateful sigh as it obscured his lower body. Only to hold back a yelp as the iciness of the water permeated his body to his waist, and then continued to lance up his body in a cold, cold shiver.

At least the cold made it easier not to look at Richter for a while. But after a few minutes of trying in vain to wash himself without wondering how ridiculous he looked, he was hit by the urge to glance around, at least so he would know where his opponent was. Wait, so Richter was an enemy now? He couldn't help himself. He raised his eyes to glance around as quickly as possible, and located Richter within a moment.

It was extremely unfortunate that Richter's eyes were on him in that moment.

"I'm not going to attack you." Richter scowled, and Emil wanted to look away but felt he would be more ridiculed if he did so.

"Y-you did before…!" Emil exclaimed, and then shut his mouth hastily before he could say anything else that would get him into danger, giving in and averting his gaze to the water's surface.

"Did I?" Richter's frown deepened. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Emil told himself, _told himself_, that going any farther along this particular path of conversation was a very bad idea, but his mouth took over before his mind had thought it over. "W-well, in the temple, beneath t-the stone dais, you-"

"Attacked you?" Richter caught on, and his frown changed very quickly to a smirk he was trying to hide. "I wouldn't really call that an attack, Emil."

Emil, figuring that the world had not been destroyed by his last exclamation, managed to relax a little, gauging that there was about ten feet between them, and he would have plenty of warning if Richter tried anything. So he decided to say nothing more on the matter, having nothing more to say that wouldn't be digging a deeper hole for himself.

… But he couldn't exactly leave the water and get dressed. Somehow he didn't feel comfortable abandoning what little safety the water gave him, in terms of covering his lower body.

"Emil?" Richter's voice came from much closer than ten feet away; he had moved while Emil had been lost in thought, apparently.

"Y-yes?" He nearly jumped, hearing his name on the other's lips much like the last time, and turned slightly to see his enemy – friend? – only a foot away.

Richter examined his startled expression and sighed. "Never mind. Hurry up and finish so we can get going."

And then, to Emil's surprise, his friend exited the water to get redressed. Emil hastened to turn away and even closed his eyes just in case, wondering amazedly that Richter hadn't tried anything, especially since he had brought up the last encounter, and they were so close, in the water, not… clothed…

His face burned blatantly and he splashed some water on his face to try and get it to disappear. It more-or-less worked, so he left the water and anxiously dressed, reminding himself that the danger wasn't past yet – there was still the journey out of the caves.

Luckily, it looked like Richter had chosen to forget the earlier outburst about what had happened beneath the stone dais, and as a consequence their conversation was stifled and insignificant as they made their way back. Leaving the innermost cave, they entered another one that was a shortcut to the entrance. Emil admired the hills and short cliffs covered with moss and bright grass, telling himself it wasn't boredom he felt now. Surely he was relieved that Richter had not decided to set a trap for him by having them bathe together…? Of course he was.

He didn't want to think about his feelings for Richter, but they weren't going away, and if he didn't find a way of controlling them he would probably be walking off a cliff sometime soon while lost in thou-

"Emil!"

Pain blossomed as he hit the ground, or something like it. Then he felt his body turning. Rolling? Rolling. Rocks and grass stabbed at his body, which seemed attached to something else as it only was taking half the damage. Some sort of shield – no, a body! That's right, a body.

They came to a stop at a level area of mossy ground, the conclusion to a rocky, steep area below a small cliff. He gasped for the air that had been driven out of him by the impacts as he belatedly noticed that he was lying on top of Richter, whose chest was heaving in time to his own breaths.

A few moments later, he recovered his breath enough to attempt to move, but found he was bruised on his back, his shoulders, sides – everywhere but his front, which was, he realized, because it was pressed to Richter's. At this thought he managed to partially sit up, immediately searching Richter for any obvious injuries. Finding none, he sighed and their gazes locked yet again, drawn by some strange fate, as he struggled to keep himself from falling back onto his friend. His legs began to shake.

He lowered himself slowly until his legs gave out and he slumped onto Richter's more-or-less motionless body, drained of energy. Their breaths were out of synch now and it made it even more evident that this was a body he was draped over, not a rock or a log or a bed.

"R-Richter…" He groaned, face buried in the redhead's chest unintentionally. "I-I'm… sorry…"

"…'s fine…" Richter whispered, but his increasingly shaky breaths didn't point to the same conclusion. And when he attempted to talk again and only a muffled curse came out, Emil knew something wasn't 'fine'.

He forced himself to sit up again, and suddenly he panicked at Richter's odd breathing, his closed eyes, his limp body. "Richter! Are you – do you need – I'll g-get something!"

Emil drove his punished arm to reach to one of his pouches, searching with trembling hands for a gel, didn't matter much which kind. He drew out an apple gel, and felt much calmer for it, knowing he had some sort of practical plan.

"H-here…" He inched forward a little to hold the apple gel to Richter's lips, but his friend wasn't reacting. "Richter! Y-you need to… eat it…"

Richter's eyes fluttered open momentarily, but closed again.

Emil truly panicked at the instant he saw his friend lying there, still as stone. He threw the apple gel into his own mouth, chewed vigorously, and crawled desperately to get to where his face hovered over Richter's.

He pressed his mouth to Richter's still lips and forced them open, using his tongue to push the mashed gel into the other's mouth, thoughts only on getting the gel to absorb into Richter's body and take immediate effect. He managed to get the majority of the gel into his friend's mouth this way, though the sticky liquid had overflowed a little at first and seeped out the corners of their mouths. He barely noticed what he was doing as his mouth lingered desperately on his friend's, waiting for some sort of telltale sign.

And then his world shifted drastically and he was on his back, Richter above him panting but quickly regaining both breath and energy, expression stunned.

Emil could have cried. As it was, he just slumped further onto the ground and savored Richter's readable face as it went now to grateful and then bewildered and then amazed. At last it settled on an intense mix of emotion he couldn't name, as his friend spoke at last.

"Emil… you saved me." Richter's voice was oddly full of emotion, reminding him of some other time he couldn't recall right then.

"I h-had to." Emil mustered his waning strength for a smile.

Richter leaned close and a warm tongue licked the remnants of apple gel from the side of Emil's mouth. Apple gel. He needed some, too. Was there more in his pouch…?

"R-Richter, hand me a g-gel… please…" He stuttered, feeling weak all of a sudden.

Richter, now thankfully rejuvenated, had no problem with locating his own supply of apple gels, though he didn't move from his position. He held it out, and before Emil could reach for it he placed it in his own mouth, chewing slowly, almost… teasingly…?

"Richter!" Emil felt his face burn awkwardly as Richter leaned in closer. "Y-you don't need to-"

Oh. OH. A tongue snaked into his mouth among the sticky juice of the gel and he moaned into the kiss, eyes squeezed shut to the bliss as Richter's mouth pressed hard into his, tongue doing delightful things to his own, the sweet taste of apple permeating all. He hadn't noticed, in his earlier panic, these kinds of sensations that now became overwhelming.

He never noticed at what point the apple gel activated and he regained his energy, but he did notice a minute later when Richter's mouth withdrew and he found himself craving more, more of something that he couldn't believe he was even thinking about.

Beautiful, blazing green eyes stared down into his as Richter donned a satisfied expression. "Feeling better?"

Emil's blush seemed permanent as he seized control of his mouth. "Y-y-yes." He wanted it more than he would ever admit, not that he was about to admit he wanted anything in the first place, though he had the feeling Richter would have obliged him.

"I find myself in debt to you suddenly…" Richter mused aloud, unreadable expression back in place. "Is there anything you'd like?"

Emil was startled at the question that so closely hinted at his own thoughts, and tried to jumble together some words to refuse any sort of repayment. "W-well, I don't… it's o-okay-"

"Anything?" Richter pressed, green eyes intense as they drilled him for an answer.

Emil trembled at his own brashness, afraid of his own desire, as he surrendered. "K-kiss me a-again…?"

No time wasted as Richter's mouth descended on his, pressing deeply and parting his lips with an insistent tongue that slid into his mouth without hesitation. It ran over his own tongue, a warm, wet sensation against his that did all sorts of things to the rest of his body that didn't make sense. Richter's mouth shifted and captured his again, stealing his breath as his tongue tangled with his own and he let out a muffled noise of tortured pleasure.

They parted for breath, and Emil wanted nothing more than to have Richter's attention on him for all eternity.

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	3. Chapter 3

Hmmm… I get the feeling everyone is liking apple gels a lot more now. Anyway, next – final? – one is Cape Fortress, the last Richter side-quest. I may actually have to up the rating… we'll see. Also: Emil doesn't know about Aster yet, and has apparently forgotten how Richter tried to kill Marta in the Temple of Ice. Actually, I believe the part about him forgetting about that was actually canon… wow, Emil, way to go.

Written from 11:33 to 2:02 at night. Turned out to have more drama/angst than I had anticipated. Hmph.

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**What is Love?**

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"…"

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"…"

"…"

Silence. Only the sounds of their footfalls on stone as they made their way through Cape Fortress, supposed stronghold of the Vanguard. Richter had barely spoken to him since they had teamed up again for this mission, as if he didn't even exist. It was confusing to the point of madness for Emil, who had spent the days after their last meeting half-awake to the world, half-dazed by his constant recollections of his back pressed to the mossy ground, Richter's mouth on his.

Every time he slid an apple gel into his mouth, his face blushed with the heat of a thousand suns, and he was surprised no one, especially Marta, had noticed the oddity yet.

But Richter hadn't spoken to him, had not looked at him directly so far. Was he waiting for Aqua to leave? Was there some reason why he didn't want her to know about it? Tenebrae had at last disappeared a few minutes before, but Aqua stayed, floating beside Richter like a guardian angel. Emil suddenly didn't like Aqua as much, not that he had ever had a particular fondness for the 'wet blanket' Centurion.

What if the reason Richter wasn't talking didn't have anything to do with Aqua? Was he angry? Had Emil done something to bring this punishment upon himself? His mind raced back to the outcome of their last meeting at the Camberto Caves…

* * *

_Emil trembled at his own brashness, afraid of his own desire, as he surrendered. "K-kiss me a-again…?"_

_No time wasted as Richter's mouth descended on his, pressing deeply and parting his lips with an insistent tongue that slid into his mouth without hesitation. It ran over his own tongue, a warm, wet sensation against his that did all sorts of things to the rest of his body that didn't make sense. Richter's mouth shifted and captured his again, stealing his breath as his tongue tangled with his own and he let out a muffled noise of tortured pleasure._

_They parted for breath, and Emil wanted nothing more than to have Richter's attention on him for all eternity. He stared up into Richter's eyes with a reckless abandon he hadn't known he was capable of. But something flickered in those green depths, flickered and failed like a light dimming, and the expression that before had seemed intense and focused lost its power._

"_Richter…?" He tilted his head to one side, bewildered at the sudden change in his friend, but not wanting to ask about it too boldly._

_Richter rose and brushed himself off in a way too-dignified for such an activity, something that should have been comical but for the humor cooling in the face of his now-serious expression. His eyes had turned into hard coal._

"_We should be heading back."_

_

* * *

  
_

Had Richter read his mind? Had he sensed Emil's foolish wish for a true and everlasting love? What else would have cooled his intensity so quickly, like moths from a doused flame? Emil hadn't said anything, hadn't done anything… and neither had Richter. It was like a switch had been pressed that had turned Richter's affection to complete apathy, like it had been in the beginning.

But even the beginning had not been as terribly cruel as this. Richter's blatant avoidance of him was starting to grate on him, and he was not usually quick to anger. To cry, maybe, but not to anger. Yet it seemed he might be doing one or both soon if Richter didn't snap out of his strange iciness.

Emil watched as Richter put out the flames of the statues one-by-one and the iron-wrought gate on the right of the room lowered. The older man was showing no nervousness, only his usual perfect composure and certainty. Could he really have no guilt after leading Emil on and suddenly closing up to him like something had happened?

Aqua disappeared a few minutes later as Richter picked up a dusty tome from the ground at the end of a long hall. This was their objective, located. Now it was only the way back, and after that…

"Emil, the next time we meet, we will be enemies."

No… what was he talking about!? What had happened? Was something wrong? How could they be enemies after all that had – no! He wouldn't let it be like this, not ending all broken like this, like some shattered mirror giving them bad luck for the rest of their lives, not something they would regret until it festered inside them and it –

"Hurry up." Richter's voice called to him emotionlessly, as if to a mere acquaintance – no, more like to a dog.

Emil's heart pounded so fearfully he almost couldn't breathe as they went back to the room of the statues and torches. A horrible coldness was welling up inside his stomach, freezing him up so that he knew if he spoke he would start to cry, would begin to shake and have to bear the tears running down his face. Nearly anything was better than that right now, even giving into the silence and giving up Richter.

No… he wouldn't give up! He had to know, at the _very least_! He wouldn't just be thrown away, confused and hurt for years without knowing the reason!

"Richter!" He called, as they came to the entrance of the room, torches casting flickering shadows over the walls and monstrous statues with the licking flames.

Richter halted but kept his silence, and Emil could only see his back, his rigid bearing. What was Richter keeping locked up that took so much effort to control?

"Richter!" He tried once more, becoming more desperate when his first attempt was greeted with a cold silence.

His heart throbbed painfully, discordantly in his chest as he waited for a reply, or just a small sign that Richter had at least heard him. But there was nothing. Richter stood there as still as a statue, like the time his eyes had drifted shut as he lay on the mossy ground, nearly lifeless.

"_Richter!_" His last cry had so much despair in it that his heart wrenched just to hear it leave his lips, and he began to shake with the dawning realization that he was not going to get an answer. He would get nothing, and his friend – no, now his enemy – would continue on and leave him behind like a pile of rotting leaves, useless and unworthy of his attention.

And then Richter spun on his heel and stalked up to him, eyes blazing in a fury that hurt to look at. Emil kept stepping back as Richter came closer with only anger in his eyes, until there was nowhere to step back to any longer. His back met the wrought-iron gate and he jumped slightly, glancing back at it for a moment and cursing that they hadn't lowered it, too, before his gaze was directed, with a yank on his scarf, to Richter.

The tug on the scarf had gotten his attention, and he shuddered as he took in Richter's terrible anger, his face with not a hint of pity or caring in it, only a fury so complete it seemed to possess him.

"What… do you want?" Richter growled, punctuated with another harsh yank on the scarf that could have snapped Emil's neck with a little more force. "Well!?"

Emil belatedly noticed the tears streaming down his cheeks as he struggled with his failing voice. "I-I… just wanted… to be… near you…"

"Why?" Richter demanded, almost yelling now. "Why would you? You don't know anything about me!"

"Y-you were… s-so… nice… to me!" Emil sobbed, pressing as far into the hard iron at his back as he could, as if he could protect himself by doing so. "Y-you gave me… courage! Y-you s-said–"

"No!" Green eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't talk to me about courage! How can you even-"

"C-courage… is the magic that turns dreams–"

Richter's hand went to his throat and he halted, seeing his enemy devoid of all mercy, all feeling whatsoever. He had no qualms now, he could kill without regret.  
Emil could die without regret, knowing he had tried, rather than living the rest of his life remembering this day and how he had let cowardice best him once again.

There was no hint of a coward in Emil as he struggled against the pressure on his throat, eyes squeezed shut to the pain, and choked out, "T-turns dreams… into… r-reality…!"

The hand released him and Richter watched him cough and clutch his bruising neck as he tried to recover his breath, emerald eyes sharp. When he was breathing normally again, if shaken with the tears that had never dried, he looked up to see a Richter tormented with a heartbreaking guilt.

"Aster…" He spoke absently, as if from far away, but his tone was still unforgiving. "Why? Is this my punishment, my duty? Did you want me to… to _make amends_…?"

Emil stayed quiet, sensing that the words were for this 'Aster', not for him. He was too shocked from what had happened, what was still happening, to wonder about who Aster was. Or why Richter was so affected by the memory, for it seemed like he was speaking to someone who had passed on already, who might have left him some sort of responsibility.

Richter must have finished with his internal dialogue with 'Aster', because he came back to the present with a visible surprise, suddenly much calmer but for his increasingly-widening eyes as he took in Emil's state – quivering, pressed against the iron gate, tears now flowing of their own accord down his cheeks, neck beginning to show purple splotches where a hand had been.

"Emil…" The horrified whisper startled Emil, as if a different Richter was examining the bruises on his neck with an ashamed and ashen face. "What have I done?"

Gentle arms wrapped around Emil and he found himself in a warm embrace, face pressed into Richter's chest. He smelled clean, a hint of the forest in his scent, recalling their time washing together in the caves. Soothing, but for the pain of confusion slathering the whole thing with doubt.

"W-what… you… why?" Emil asked quietly, trying to relax into the embrace but unable to let down his guard completely now.

Richter tensed for a moment before apparently forcing himself to take deep breaths as he explained. "I had a friend who looked just like you, Emil. I watched him… die… and there was nothing I could do to save him. When I met you, I felt this… fondness… for you because you bore a resemblance to him." His hold loosened and he released Emil, though he still remained close.

"Y-you think… you d-don't really… like _me_? It's b-because of him that you…"

"No. I don't think that." Richter hesitated, uncertainty tainting usually vivid eyes. "You… are Emil. Not Aster. And I…"

Emil lost his breath as he awaited the next words, condemning him or praising, whichever it would be.

"I…" Richter paused again and shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. "I'm sorry. This is my fault. Sometimes, when I look at you I see _him_, and I can't – I don't – know what to do. I convinced myself it would be better if I didn't have to look at you, but you…"

"I-I don't want to give you up, Richter…" Emil rubbed his damp eyes with the back of his glove as he took a deep breath to give himself courage. "B-but if it's… if seeing me makes you like this, how c-can I keep hurting you?"

"It's my task, not yours." Richter replied solemnly, reaching out to caress the bruises on Emil's neck, bruises he had created. "It's not like I wanted to give _you_ up."

"Y-you mean…?" Emil's gaze followed the hand that went from his neck to rest gently on his bare shoulder, and noticed the absence of the scarf that usually obscured more of him from view. It was on the ground now, from when Richter had seized it in anger only minutes before. All that was a misty dream that he didn't want to remember now.

"I'm not one to say these kinds of things clearly, so…" But Richter trailed off mid-sentence as his eyes drifted and found Emil looking vulnerable and anxious for some reason he couldn't quite place. "Are you all right?"

"Y-yes, it's just… my scarf, it…" Emil stuttered, pointing vaguely without even looking to see if it was the right direction, his face growing a little pink.

Richter looked then, really looked at Emil and saw that the scarf, which normally made Emil's clothing have the appearance of relative normality, was missing. Which meant that Emil's neck, shoulders, and even past his collarbone were bared with the result that he looked to be wearing much less than usual.

"I see." Richter muttered, and let his hand skim over the exposed skin from Emil's neck past his collarbone, causing a startled sound of protest that died upon Richter leaning in close. "Well, I'm in your debt again. Any requests?"

"A-again? How?" Emil tried to ignore his heated face, a response to Richter taking advantage of the absent scarf.

"These." Richter indicated the bruises on Emil's neck with deep guilt, looking away for a moment to regain his calm.

Emil's possible reply faded as Richter's eyes glanced to his with a sudden change to that teasing light from before, and he sensed that his friend was about to do something again, and remembered how alone they were in this place.

It happened all too fast. Richter leaned in and his lips brushed Emil's neck as if by accident, causing an odd surge to travel through him at the contact. Before he could wonder what this was about, Richter's mouth was on his neck, this time purposefully kissing the tender, sensitive skin, making even the bruises heat up as pleasurable sensations ran through him and made his vision lose focus.

"Oh!" He cried out as a warm, moist tongue slide down his neck, and felt his face burn as Richter's hot mouth descended once again upon his skin, now sucking at a spot closer to his shoulder. "Ah! R-Richter!" He found himself clutching at the front of Richter's coat to steady himself as his body writhed.

The mouth moved all the way from the base of his neck to his collarbone, leaving feather-light kisses until his tongue flicked out at his collarbone to trace across its length. He moaned, no will to disguise it as Richter abandoned his neck to suck at his bottom lip, catching it between his and running his tongue along it expertly.

His mouth fell open with a gasp and Richter's tongue slid in easily, tasting him as their mouths crushed together, hunger fueling its beautiful harshness. Velvet lips moved against his as their tongues entwined within, distracting him as belts loosened and his tunic slid down to rest at the waist of his pants. Their mouths came apart with great reluctance and the need for breath.

"R-Richter, I... nngh!" A strangled noise escaped him as a mouth left marks all down his chest, spreading delicious warmth everywhere it touched, and some places it didn't.

"Emil…" Richter murmured absently, absorbed in the noises the younger was making at his ministrations…

* * *

**Not entirely sure what the rules are for posting this sort of thing... but consider the implications and you'll know how it ended.**


End file.
